Avast EP: Installing Avast Enterprise Administration

How to install Avast Enterprise Administration?

Avast Enterprise Administration is a desktop console with remote management capability and dedicated server, which enables discovery of new and unsecured machines on the company network, unattended remote deployment and mangement of Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) and incremental updates on networked computers and/or servers, even in multiple domains, to keep them free of viruses and other malware, schedule on-demand scannig tasks, generate wide range of graphical and tabular reports, receive real-time customizable alerts automatic notifications about the activity on the company network. Avast Enterprise Administration is suitable for complex computers and/or servers networks of any size, and so it has hierarchical grouping of Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) in a tree structure, which can be based on, for example, the geographical or organizational structure of the network, and makes possible to assign appropriate administration access rights and policies separately for each group. The following system requirements are recommended in order to install and run Avast Enterprise Administration:

Free Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express (supplied as an optionally installable component with Avast Enterprise Administration) or full Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (required for the replication service to support multiple Avast Enterprise Administration Servers in very complex networks with more than 1000 computers and/or servers in any combination).

Internet Explorer 6.x or higher.

Internet connection (to download and register the product, and for updates of the Mirror from the AVAST update server).

Domain network or Windows workgroup membership.

Valid and reachable SMTP Server.

Intel Pentium III compatible processor or above (depends on the requirements of used operating system version and other 3rd party software installed).

512 MB RAM or above (depends on the requirements of used operating system version and other 3rd party software installed).

...and save it to your machine, in a location where you will easily be able to locate it. For example download Avast Enterprise Administration setup file setup_enterprise_epsp.exe for Avast Endpoint Protection Suite Plus and save it on your Windows Desktop.

Locate the downloaded setup file setup_enterprise_epsp.exe (depending on your system preferences, the file extension may be hidden), on your Windows Desktop for example. Now, if you are logged:

As a user with administrator permissions, right-click on the setup file and choose 'Run as administrator' from the context menu,

Figure I.

As an Administrator (i.e. not a user with administrator permissions), just double-click the setup file,

Figure II.

...and if prompted by the User Account Control dialog for permissions, click 'Yes' (or 'Continue') to begin the installation process.

Figure III.

For a few seconds you will briefly see the installation files being copied to your machine.

Figure IV.

When Avast Enterprise Administration Setup Wizard starts, select the preferred language for the installation from the drop-down menu. When the language is selected, click 'Next'.

Figure V.

On the welcome screen click 'Next' to continue.

Figure VI.

After reading the introduction on Read me screen, click 'Next' again.

Figure VII.

You now need to confirm that you have read and accept the terms of the License Agreement by selecting the option 'I agree'. Then click 'Next' to proceed.

Figure VIII.

On the following screen you can change the default Destination directory by entering the full path where you want to install Avast Enterprise Administration, or you can click on the button marked '...' on the right, and locate the installation folder by browsing your machine via the navigation dialog. When the path is specified, or if you want to keep the default, click 'Next'.

Figure IX.

Besides the 'Typical' and 'Minimum' installations with predefined Configuration, you can also select 'Custom' on the next screen, where it is possible to add or remove individual program components and features in a checkbox tree. Then click 'Next' to continue.

Figure X.

Depending on the license you have, select one of these two options on the License Manager screen:

Load license file - If you have already purchased a license for Avast Endpoint Protection, you can enter its location in the box shown on the bottom of the License Manager screen. Firstly you have to save the license file License.avastlic, which was attached to the e-mail you received after purchase, somewhere on your machine where you can easily locate it, for example on your Windows Desktop.

Figure XI.

Then enter the full path to its destination directory in the License Manager and click 'Load!',

Figure XII.

...or you can click button marked '...' on the right, and locate it by browsing your machine via the navigation dialog.

Figure XIII.

After the installation is completed, you can continue to use the product for 12, 24, or 36 months from the date of purchase, depending on the purchased license period.

During the 30 day demo period you need to purchase and insert a valid license file to continue to use the product, otherwise the Avast Enterprise Administration will not be able to communicate with any connected machines and you will not be able to deploy and manage the Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) on your network after the demo period expires. For detailed instructions how to insert the license file please read the following article:

If you don't want to save a backup copy of your license file to the installation folder, clear the checkbox 'Copy the license file to program folder',

Figure XV.

...and then click 'OK' to apply the selected license type.

On the next screen you can adjust Mirror settings. The Mirror is used to automatically distribute updates to all Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) on your network to ensure they are always completely up to date. The advantage of using the Mirror to distribute updates in this way is that the updates need to be downloaded only once from the AVAST update server, thus saving you bandwidth. Here you can specify whether this mirroring server will 'Download mirror files from Internet' (i.e. directly from AVAST update server),

Figure XVI.

...or if it will 'Download mirror files from another mirror' in such a case that you already have another mirroring server established, so you have to specify its Address (like for example mirror.example.com or 192.168.1.100) and Port umber (16135 by default).

Figure XVII.

If you clear the checkbox 'Generate mirror during installation', the Mirror will be downloaded and created on a background automatically after first start of Avast Enterprise Administration, or you can do it manually using mirror.exe utility included within the installation folder. When it's done, click 'Next' to continue.

Note:
In such a case you need to download the Mirror and keep it updated using different connection than you have specified in your Internet Explorer settings, click the 'Proxy settings' button, and then you can switch from the default option 'Auto detect (use Internet Explorer settings)' to 'Direct connection (no proxy)',

Figure XVIII.

...or 'Specify proxy server' with all the necessary details used to connect your machine to the Internet, i.e.:

Type - HTTP or SOCKS v4 protocol.

Address - IP address or Host Name of your Proxy Server, like for example 192.168.1.10 or proxy.example.com.

...and then click 'OK' twice to confirm the test and apply your changes.

On the following screen with SQL Server settings you can select preferred database server that will serve as data storage for all the policies, security settings and Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) information:

Use SQL Express (installs on local computer with instance name 'avast') - in such a case that you want to install locally Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express supplied with Avast Enterprise Administration. Once you have selected this option, you have to also choose whether want to:

Use full MS SQL Server - just if you want to use Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 which is already running on your or remote machine. For detailed instructions how should be Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express installed separately please read the following article:

When you select this option, you will also need to specify the following details:

Server name - type the Host Name of your SQL Server, for non-default instance followed by a backslash and the SQL Server Instance Name, i.e.:

HOSTNAME - if your SQL Server is running on the remote machine, or the same machine as the Avast Enterprise Administration, and default SQL Server Instance Name is used (i.e. MSSQLSERVER).

(local) - as an alternative if your SQL Server is running locally on the same machine as the Avast Enterprise Administration, and default SQL Server Instance Name is used (i.e. MSSQLSERVER).

HOSTNAME\INSTANCENAME - if your SQL Server is running on the remote machine, or the same machine as the Avast Enterprise Administration, and any other than default SQL Server Instance Name is used (i.e. whatever, except MSSQLSERVER).

(local)\INSTANCENAME - as an alternative if your SQL Server is running on the same machine as the Avast Enterprise Administration, and any other than default SQL Server Instance Name is used (i.e. whatever, except MSSQLSERVER).

Create Avast database - clear the checkbox just in case you are connecting an existing database in SQL Server used by some previous instance of Avast Enterprise Administration of exactly the same version, and want to keep all data storage for all the policies, security settings and Avast Endpoint Protection clients (managed clients) information.

Figure XXII.

When it's done, click 'Next' to continue.

On the Installation information screen check your setup configuration before proceeding with the installation. If you missed something, just use the 'Back' button to go back and change the configuration. When you have finished the configuration click 'Next'.

Figure XXIII.

The Avast Enterprise Administration Setup Wizard will then display an installation progress,

Figure XXIV.

...and also Mirror Creation status if you selected to generate the Mirror during the installation. Depending upon the speed of your machine, it may take a few minutes to complete.

Figure XXV.

Afterwards you will be asked for current certificate for Avast Enterprise Administration Server. Click 'Generate New...',

Figure XXVI.

...fill in the information to be included in the new self-signed certificate, click 'Generate'.

Figure XXVII. B

...and then click 'Close'.

Figure XXVIII. B

Note:
In case that you already have a backup file with valid certificate for Avast Enterprise Administration Server, you can click 'Import',

Figure XIX.

...locate the file with certificate on your machine, and click 'Open'.

Figure XXX.

When the installation is successfully completed, click 'Finish' to close the Avast Enterprise Administration Setup Wizard.

Figure XXXI.

Avast Enterprise Administration should then be installed on your machine, so you can double-click the shortcut icon on your Windows Desktop to open it.